Anne was walking down the long corridor, clutching her book bag to her chest. There was a lively chatter all around her, yet she was alone in this busy hallway. Anne started as she felt a tap on her shoulder - she whirled around quickly, startled, yet an ecstatic beam appeared when she saw Kevin's friendly face.

"This has been so horrible!" she wailed, throwing her arms around his neck. From over his shoulder she saw Jen and Ian smirking, and she quickly let go, frowning at them.

"We could've guessed," Jen said sympathetically. "How in the world did you end up in Slytherin?"

Anne lowered her gaze. "Good question, and I want to know the answer probably even more than you. But give me a break, guys, I really don't want to talk about it right now." Her last words were a plea to let the subject drop.

"Gotcha," replied Ian. "I have to ask this, though. Are they all total jerks, or have you at least made some friends?"

Kevin cut in before she could answer, speaking for the first time since they had met up. "She has - Mark Malfoy, right?"

Kevin glared at Anne, yet she matched his expression with equal displeasure. "Kevin, I've just been thrown into a House with perfect strangers that I've despised all of my life. I really don't have a lot of options in the friend department, okay?"

Kevin nodded, looking abashed. "Okay, sorry about that. I just hate to see you hanging out with a Malfoy."

Ian snickered. "Or in other words, he's jealous." He winked at Anne, yelping in surprise as Kevin punched his arm.

"Crap, we've got to go," Jen cried, breaking up the reunion. "But don't worry, you have your next few classes with us. Hang in there, okay?" Jen gave her a quick hug before walking off with her two companions, leaving Anne feeling more alone than she did before.

Anne was among the last to walk into the Transfiguration classroom, taking a back row seat next to another girl. Her table partner had a foul look upon her face as she stared around the classroom, and seemed to dare anyone to approach her. Anne did not take up the challenge any further.

A moment before the bell rang, the door opened once more. In swept an elderly woman, followed by an eager young lady. Anne's eyes grew wide as she recognized the latter female. There was no opportunity to say anything, though - the two went up to the front of the classroom, the younger taking a seat behind the desk while the older remained standing.

"Good afternoon, class." She paused a moment to take a look at her schedule. "My name is Professor McGonagall, and I am Hogwart's Transfiguration teacher as well as Deputy Headmistress. In this class you will learn an extremely complicated form of magic, and will be tutored by me and Miss Hermione Granger." She gestured to the woman behind the desk. "I trust you've all looked at your books?" She frowned as a nervous murmur rose. "I guess I was wrong. Please, open to page ten, and read up on the color spell. Hurry up - from now on you will all be ready by the time I arrive!"

All of the students scrambled through their book bags, a few sarcastic comments rising above the din. The room quickly grew silent as the students poured studiously over the assigned pages. Professor McGonagall soon came around with a plain square of fabric - their job was to change it into an electric blue.

The period passed slowly, many of the students growing frustrated and bored. Anne was the only one able to have an effect on the cloth – her's turned the grayish-blue color of a very stormy sky. The teacher held it up for the class to admire, earning Anne nasty looks from her classmates. Thanks a lot, Professor.

After the bell rang, Anne took her time packing up her books. Once all of the students had left, the teachers prepared to as well. Professor McGonagall walked out the door first, nodding at Anne as she passed. Hermione, however, stopped by her desk, a delighted grin upon her face.

"Anne, I haven't seen you in so long! How are your parents? How are you?"

A wavering smile appeared on Anne's face as well. "My parents are fine. Father is very busy, though, preparing for next year's World Cup." There was a moment of silence after this. Hermione looked at Anne carefully.

"And how are you?"

Anne sighed, lowering her gaze. "How do you think I am? I'm in Slytherin! Couldn't be better," she finished sarcastically.

Hermione sighed, patting her arm. "Don't worry about it."

"How could I not? I'm the first Potter to be in Slytherin for centuries! I don't even know if a Potter ever was in Slytherin."

"You may be surprised," Hermione cryptically replied. Anne glanced at her, confused. "But don't worry about it. Do your parents know yet?"

"No," Anne whispered. "I've been afraid of what they'll say."

"Your friends have been fine, haven't they? I'm positive your parents will be the same. If you want, though, I can write to them for you."

Anne finally met her eye. "Would you? That would mean so much to me."

Hermione nodded. "You have enough to worry about here."

With this pressing matter out of the way, Anne ventured on to a new subject.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?"

Hermione grinned. "I've been waiting for you to ask! I'm going to be an aide for Professor McGonagall, at least for the first semester. I'm writing an article on Hogwarts. Witches' Weekly readers want to know what goes on behind this school's closed doors."

Anne nodded, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Hermione, I'm going to be late for my next class. I'm so glad you're going to be here for a while though!" With a quick hug she ran off to her next class, just a little more content knowing that there was another friendly face within this cold castle.

A/N – Yeah, kinda anticlimactic chapter, but Hermione does play a big role in the story. I couldn't leave her out! Gnash, have you noticed I stink at endings? TOUGHIES! Anyways, I'm about to strike onto new territory and right new chapters for the messed up story. Wish me luck!